Friday, September 12, 2014

Merina Kingdom: Unification and Rise

In the east of Africa, the largest island of the continent
Madagascar was the site of a great kingdom. The Merina Kingdom flourished from
late 1790’s up to the end of the 19th century. It saw a history of greatness,
openness, and bloodiness. It very much moved to all sides of the political
spectrum, from the liberal to conservatism, to moderate. Ambition and religion
ran the course of the kingdom for a century before finally succumbing to the
domination of the French.

The story of the Imerina or Merina or Malagasy Kingdom began in
the heart of Madagascar. In the highland jungles of the island, the people of
Imerina inhabited the area and became unified as a kingdom during the 16th
century. But in early stages of the 18th century, the Kingdom was divided into
four principalities to prevent rivalry and bloodshed. Nevertheless, it did not
prevent each of the principalities in fighting each other for dominance.

Imerina people fought each other for supremacy until a unifier
emerged from one of its principalities. Rambosalamawas born in 1745 in the
principality of Rambohinga. By 1784, he was the first line in throne to succeed
his uncle Andrianjafy. King Andrianjafy, however, did not welcome Rambosalama to
be his successor. And son in the night of the same year, an attempt on
Rambosalama’s life was made. Thankfully, it was a failure. He managed to escape
the palace and sought refuge to the north. There he amassed an army to take on
Andrianjafy. In 1787, he succeeded in capturing the Kingdom, Andrianjafy was
captured and exiled. Becoming king of the principality was not enough for
Rambosalama. He went further by capturing the three other principalities. By
1795, he succeeded and moved his capital to Antananarivo. A new Merina Dynasty
was established. Rambosalama took the reign name of Andrianampoinemerina or the
Prince in the Heart of Imerina.

Under Andrianampoinemerina, the kingdom began to establish itself
a power in the island. He expanded his Kingdom, devouring the neighboring
kingdoms of Betsileo, Sihanaka, and Bezanozano. He also extended diplomatic
relations with foreigners, especially with the French who resided in the nearby
islands of Mauritius and Reunion Islands. As a King, he strengthened his
Kingdoms economic footing by constructing irrigations in order to increase rice
production and provide food for the people and the military. To build
irrigations, he instituted the fanmpoana or mandatory public service for males.
He also established a royal monopoly in slave trade in order to fill his
government’s coffers. It was also to prevent others to profit and threaten his
rule with slave money.

In 1810, Andrianampoinemerina passed away, leaving a legacy of
strong foundations to his son, Radama. Radama must continue to strengthen the
Kingdom whatever the mean, whether militarily, diplomatically, or economically.

Foreigners were key to Radama’s ambition in creating a powerful
military. The French had its base in Reunion Island. The British, on the other
hand, took hold in the Mauritius Island. The two European powers were battling
each other for dominance in the Indian Ocean. And Madagascar was a good place
to secure the western side of the Ocean. The French then sought alliance with
Kingdoms in the east coast of the Madagascar Island. The British then sought
for their own allies in the island. Radama saw this as an opportunity to cement
his authority and to upgrade his military for expansionist purposes.

Radama presented himself as an ally to the British. The British,
in turn, saw it fit to establish relation with Radama. As an act of solidifying
the alliance between the African and the European countries, a treaty of
friendship was signed between the two. It recognized Radama as the King of
Madagascar and provided Radama with military aids. Radama received new weapons,
uniforms, and military advisors from the British. In exchange, slave trade was
to be outlawed in the Kingdom.

With a powerful and modern army in his disposal, Radama then began
a war of expansion. He occupied the Kingdoms of Boina and Betsmiskara. It
allowed Merina to control much of the eastern coast of Madagascar.

Another consequence of the treaty was the free entry of Christian
missionaries into the island. The London Missionary Society, a group of
Anglican, flooded the new Kingdom and began proselytizing. The missionaries,
however, brought new knowledge to the Malagasy people. It brought education,
the Latin alphabet, as well as new skills to the people. James Cameroon, a
missionary, thought new skills such as carpentry and tanning to the Malagasy
people. Weaving and dressmaking also flourished. But in 1828, the King died due
to his alcoholism.

His moderate openness to the foreigners was succeeded by the far
right conservatism and xenophobic reign of his successor. Radama I’s wife,
Ramavo, fought her enemies and succeeded to become the new monarch of the
Kingdom. From obscurity, she took the name of Ranavalona I and ushered in the
period of extreme love of tradition with blood of her people as the price.
Initially, her reign saw glory and progress. In 1828, she ordered the
codification of laws. She also ordered the invasion of the neighboring kingdom
of Ihosy and founded a port city of Fianavantsoa. She welcomed Jean Laborde who
would later help her to attain economic independence. All change after she became
suddenly ill in 1835. She contracted a fever and seemed to be dying. But then,
after religious rituals based on the Sampy, or talismans, she became well. In
order to show reverence and gratitude, she wanted to promote the religion by
destroying a threat to its existence – Christianity. In 1835, he outlawed
Christianity and expelled its missionaries. The expulsion was then followed by
a purge of Malagasy Christians. Her Christian subjects were subjugated into
deadly types of death, from poisoning to falling. More than a thousand died due
to her persecution. To make her dedication to local tradition stronger, she
ordered an end to foreign trade. In order sustain self-reliance, she supported
Laborde his efforts to established factories of soap, bricks, and other light
materials.

Ranavalona’s isolationist and xenophobic policy led to a coup
plot. In 1857, Prince Rakoto, Ranavalona’s alledge son to Radama I’s, became
involved in a coup planned by few foreigners, mostly French. It aimed in
deposing the Queen and ascending the European taught Prince Rakoto to the
throne. This plot, however, was discovered. The foreigners, including Laborde,
were expelled and Rakoto was spared from death but was under the close watch of
the Queen.

In 1861, the gory reign of Ranavalona I came to an end.
Ranavalona passed away and Rakoto ascended as King Radama II. From the
ultra-conservative Ranavalona, the Kingdom saw an ultra-liberal King. Educated
by westerners, he became obsessed with everything that was European and
listened to what Europeans told him. In 1855, he was either cohered or just
ignorant to have allowed a Frenchman, Joseph-Francois Lambert to attain a
charter that would allow him to exploit the natural resources of the Kingdom.
This charter would became a subject of issue between the French and the Merina.

In 1861, after Ranavalona I died, the liberal Rainivoninahitriony,
the Prime Minster, helped to ascend Radama II into the throne. The King
would reversed the late ruler’s policies. He allowed once again the entry of missionaries
into the Merina Kingdom. British London Missionary Society and French Jesuit
missionaries returned to the Kingdom and restarted their proselytizing. He also
wanted to reestablish diplomatic relations with the British and the French.
With the help of Lambert, the French and the British recognized his sovereignty
and sent their consuls to the Merina capital, Antananarivo. The French, in
particular, sent a close friend of the King as consul, Jean Laborde. In 1862,
treaties of friendship and commerce were signed between the British, the
French, and the Merina Kingdom. Alongside the friendship treaty, Radama II also
approved the Lambert Charter signed in 1855.

Foreign influence rose significantly under Radama II. Free trade
brought huge problems to local industries. Missionaries converting Malagasy
people led to the falling practice of local traditions like the sampy. Rumors
of charter that sell the Kingdoms natural resources to the exploitation of
foreigners also spread.

Malagasy people and officials were concern over the increasing
foreign influence. In 1862, a festive disease called the Ramanenjama spread.
The said “infected” danced and sang around the streets, chanting names of
previous rulers like Ranavalona I. It appeared to have been a protest against
the increasing openness and worship of Radama II to European influences.
Officials, on the other hand, were equally concerned. Rainivoninahitriniony, in
particular, was worried about the king’s decision provided charter to
foreigners to exploit resources within the Kingdom. Also, he was worried about
the lost revenue caused by the sudden surge of tax free imported goods. Other
than economic reasons, the Prime Minister was alarmed by the King’s decision in
appointing several foreigners to the position of external relations. Moreover,
the King also began to create a group of royal nobles called the Red Eyes or
menamaso, which aimed in deposing Hova or freemen within the government where
Rainivoninahitriniony belonged.

The final straw came in May 7, 1863. The King’s obsession with
western culture led to his decision to legalized dueling, a common practice of
Europeans. Rainivoninanhitriniony saw the chaotic consequence of the
legalization. Gun fights would erupt across the Kingdom if it was to be imposed.
Thus, a sign of protest, he did not announced or released the law to the
public. In addition, the King saw it as a weakness of the King to anything
western and ultimately a threat to the independence of the country. Along with
his brother, Rainilaiarivony who was a military commander launched a coup
against the King and his allies, the menamaso. Some of them were executed. Some
of them sought refuge to the King’s palace. Troops of the brothers then
surrounded the Palace and demanded the surrender of the remaining menamaso. The
King refused. And so, on May 12, 1863, officers who supported the Prime
Minister stormed the Palace; and, as a sign of last respect to the King, they
followed the tradition that no royal blood should ever be shed. The King was
strangled to death in front of his wife, Raboda.